The present invention related to structural assemblies and more particularly to an end cap arrangement for a structural member, such as a ladder rail or platform, and a method of manufacturing an end cap and assembling an end cap to a structural member.
End caps for structural members are generally well known in the structural arts and more particularly in the ladder and platform industry art, attention being directed to U.S. Pat. No. 5,533,591, issued to S. A. Kiska on Jul. 9, 1996; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,758,745, issued Jun. 2, 1998 to R. D. Beggs et al. Both of these patents teach end cap structure specifically useful in the ladder assembly art, the end caps disclosed in these patents being comparatively complex in manufacture and mating assembly, often requiring additional parts to maintain assembled relationship. The present invention, recognizing the limitations of prior art end caps, avoids the complexity of prior art end caps and their assembly providing a unique and novel end cap and structural member assembly which is straightforward and economical in both manufacture and assembly and yet restricting relative movement both circumferentially or radially and longitudinally between the assembled parts. Further, the unique method and structural arrangement disclosed herein can be employed generally to many other structural arts enhancing lifting and transportation of structural parts and forming barriers for undesirable sharp structural edges. Various other features of the present invention will become obvious to one skilled in the art upon reading the novel disclosure set forth herein.